Advanced
Composition

Extended Definition for Developing a Paragraph

January 27, 2000

A triangle (term)
is a plane figure (class) with three sides.
(detail which shows its difference)

These
kinds of definitions apply to concrete words such as apple, pencil, or
window. An apple is
a fruit which grows on a tree and
which has a thin, edible skin.

Extended
Definition:

Use extended
definition for words which are more abstract. Words such
as knowledge, love, peace, happiness and democracy are
abstract.

A
paragraph can be used to define a more abstract word.

Love can have a number of different meanings. It often means the
romantic feeling that two people have for each other. We call this
"being in love." Another meaning for love is as an emotion we feel for
items of food that we like to eat very much. People say, "I love ice
cream!" This kind of love is not the same as the first kind, obviously.
(and so on until the paragraph is finished)

Assignment:

Write
a paragraph that defines the word "happiness." Give at least three
different definitions of this word (three ways we can explain what it
means for us). Follow the rules of formal definition in your examples.
See a teacher
writing sample.